Airborne particulate source detection system

ABSTRACT

A method comprises receiving data associated with a detection of the odor, the data associated with the detection of the odor comprising a location of the detection of the odor and a time of the detection of the odor, retrieving weather data corresponding to the detection of the odor, the weather data including a wind speed and direction in the location of the detection of the odor at the time of the detection of the odor, calculating a location of the source of the odor as a function of the location of the detection of the odor, the time of the location of the odor and the wind speed and direction in the location of the detection of the odor, and outputting to a user on a display a graphical representation of a likely area that includes the location of the source of the odor.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to detecting the source of airborneparticulates, and more specifically, to detecting the source location ofodors using a mobile device system.

Odors can often indicate hazardous events such as chemical spills, gasleaks, or sewage system leaks. Odor source detection in urban areas canbe challenging due to the complexity and density of urban environments.Previous methods for locating sources of odors used robots or otherspecialized sensing equipment to find the source of odors. Typicallythese systems used sensing equipment that would detect a concentrationof molecules that caused odors in an air sample. Sensing equipment oftenfails to reliably detect a concentration of molecules in an openatmosphere unless the concentration of molecules is sufficiently high tobe detected by the sensing equipment. Such systems are often expensiveand difficult to calibrate and maintain.

Rapidly locating the source of an odor is desirable for urbanadministrators and first responders.

SUMMARY

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method fordetecting a source of an odor, the method comprises receiving dataassociated with a first detection of the odor, the data associated withthe first detection of the odor comprising a location of the firstdetection of the odor and a time of the first detection of the odor,retrieving weather data corresponding to the first detection of theodor, the weather data including a wind speed and direction in thelocation of the first detection of the odor at the time of the firstdetection of the odor, calculating a location of the source of the odoras a function of the location of the first detection of the odor, thetime of the first location of the odor and the wind speed and directionin the location of the first detection of the odor, and outputting to auser on a display a graphical representation of a likely area thatincludes the location of the source of the odor.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, system fordetecting a source of an odor comprising a display, a processorcommunicatively connected to the display, the processor operative toreceive data associated with a first detection of the odor, the dataassociated with the first detection of the odor comprising a location ofthe first detection of the odor and a time of the first detection of theodor, retrieve weather data corresponding to the first detection of theodor, the weather data including a wind speed and direction in thelocation of the first detection of the odor at the time of the firstdetection of the odor, calculate a location of the source of the odor asa function of the location of the first detection of the odor, the timeof the first location of the odor and the wind speed and direction inthe location of the first detection of the odor, and outputting to auser on a display a graphical representation of a likely area thatincludes the location of the source of the odor.

According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, a computerprogram product comprising a computer readable storage medium havingprogram instructions embodied therewith, the program instructionsexecutable by a processor to cause the processor to perform a methodthat comprises receiving data associated with a first detection of theodor, the data associated with the first detection of the odorcomprising a location of the first detection of the odor and a time ofthe first detection of the odor, retrieving weather data correspondingto the first detection of the odor, the weather data including a windspeed and direction in the location of the first detection of the odorat the time of the first detection of the odor, calculating a locationof the source of the odor as a function of the location of the firstdetection of the odor, the time of the first location of the odor andthe wind speed and direction in the location of the first detection ofthe odor, and outputting to a user on a display a graphicalrepresentation of a likely area that includes the location of the sourceof the odor.

Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniquesof the present invention. Other embodiments and aspects of the inventionare described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimedinvention. For a better understanding of the invention with theadvantages and the features, refer to the description and to thedrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularlypointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion ofthe specification. The forgoing and other features, and advantages ofthe invention are apparent from the following detailed description takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary system for identifying a source ofodors.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary method of operationof the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of the output of the processor.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a user interface of thesystem.

FIG. 5 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the user interface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Previous systems for detecting the source of airborne particulates thatcaused odors used detectors that measured the concentration of moleculesin samples of air. Such systems and methods are expensive and have lowsuccess rates in urban environments.

The methods and systems described herein determine the source ofparticulates or odors without using specialized concentration detectors.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary system 100 for identifying a source ofodors. The system 100 includes a processor (server) 102 that iscommunicatively connected to a memory 104, a display 106, an inputdevice 108, and a network 110. The system 100 includes a user device 112such as, for example, a mobile device such as a smart phone. The system100 may also be communicatively connected to a weather database 114 suchas, for example, a national or local weather database.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary method of operationof the system 100 (of FIG. 1). In block 202, the processor 102 receivesposition and time data for an observed odor. The position and time datafor an observed odor may include, for example, a latitude and longitudeof the user device 112 that is determined using the global positioningsystem (GPS) or another location service, and a time the odor wasobserved by the user. The observation data may also include a uniqueidentifier of the user device and a description of the odor. Inoperation, when the user senses, smells, or observes an odor, the userindicates the observation on the user device 112. The user devicedetermines the position of the user device 112 using the GPS system andoutputs the user device location and the time of the observation.

In block 204, the processor 102 retrieves weather data that correspondsto the position and time in the received observation data. The weatherdata includes wind velocity or wind direction and speed. The weatherdata may be retrieved from any suitable weather source such as, forexample, a national or local weather database. For example, whenobservation data is received by the processor 102, the server retrievesa wind velocity vector for the location and time of the observation.Thus, the wind speed and direction for the observed time and location isretrieved by the processor 102.

In block 206, the processor 102 calculates the odor source location 208as a function of the observed location, time of the observation, and thewind speed and direction (wind velocity vector).

The processor 102 calculates the odor source location using aprobabilistic odor source detection model. First, the probabilitydensity function is defined as: p(x,t;x_(R),t_(R))=∂(t−t_(R))∂(x−x_(R)),where x is a position, t is a time, x_(R) is the observation location,and t_(R) is the observation time.

A backward evolution equation is used as a function of the retrievedweather data:

${{- \frac{\partial p}{\partial t}} = {{u_{i} \cdot \frac{\partial p}{\partial x_{i}}} + {\frac{\partial}{\partial x_{i}}\left( {\sigma_{i}\frac{\partial p}{\partial x_{i}}} \right)}}},$

for t<t_(R), where u_(i) is the wind speed, x_(i) is a direction of thewind (in an x-y coordinate system) and a, is the diffusion constant orfactor of the odor. The diffusion constant of the odor represents a rateat which the odor diffuses in an atmosphere.

A likelihood function of the source location x_(S) given the detectionlocation x_(R) is defined as: L(x_(s)|x_(R))=∫_(t) _(R) ^(t) ⁰p(x,t;x_(R), t_(R))dt. The likelihood function allows the probablelocation of the source of the odor to be output and plotted on a map inblock 210 (described below).

As the user device or multiple user devices continue to outputadditional position and time data based on user observations, theadditional observations are received by the processor 102. As additionalobservation data is received, the corresponding weather data for eachadditional observation is retrieved and the functions described aboveare used to update the likelihood function using the product rule where:L(x_(s)|s_(R) ¹, . . . , x_(R) ^(N) ^(C) )=L(x_(s)|x_(R) ¹)× . . .×L(x_(s)|x_(R) ^(N) ^(C) ).

In an alternate exemplary embodiment, the method described in FIG. 2 mayalso be performed by the user device 112 (of FIG. 1). In this regard,the user device receives an input from the user indicating that the userhas sensed or detected an odor. The user input may include, for example,selecting a button on a graphical user interface (GUI) of the userdevice, or another input method such as motion, voice or a textualcommand. The user device 112 receives the position data using a GPSreceiver, and the time of the observation using a clock internal to theuser device 112 or an external clock signal such as from the GPS signalin block 202. The user device 112 in block 204 retrieves weather datafrom a database as described above. The user device 112 calculates orupdates the odor source location in block 206. In block 208, the userdevice 112 presents the odor source location area data to the user on adisplay of the user device. In some embodiments, the user device 112 mayindependently perform the method of FIG. 2. The user device 112 may alsocommunicate with other user devices 112 over a network to share positionand time observation data, which would increase the size of theobservation data set and improve the odor detection activity.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of the output of the processor 102 througha progression of observations by a user or users. In the map 302, oneobservation has been received by the processor 102, which results in asource area 300. Map 304 shows an example of the source area 300 afterfive observations have been received by the processor 102. The sourcearea 300 in the map 304 is smaller than the source area 300 in the map302 due to the increase in the number of received observations. Map 306shows the source area 300 after ten observations have been received. Map308 illustrates the source area 300 after 31 observations have beenreceived. The source area 300 in the map 308 is smaller than the sourcearea 300 in the map 302. As each additional observation is received bythe processor 102, the source area 300 should continue to decrease, thusallowing technicians to have a higher likelihood of locating the sourceof the odor.

In operation, the processor 102 may output the updated maps 302, 304,306, and 308 to the user device 112 or multiple user devices 112, or thedisplay 106. The users use the graphical representation of the sourcearea 300 on their user device 112 or on the display 106 to move into thesource area 300. By continually moving into the source area 300 andmaking observations that are sent to the processor 102, the source area300 should continue to be reduced in size allowing the source of theodor to be more easily found or identified.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a user interface 400 thatmay be displayed to a user on the display 106 or the user device 112.The user interface 400 includes a map 402 that shows variousgeographical features. Observation points 402 are plotted and displayedon the map 402. A menu 406 includes a list of observation times that maybe selected by a user. When a user selects one of the observation times,the corresponding observation point 404 plotted on the map 402 thatcorresponds to the observation time may be highlighted on map 402.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the user interface 400after an observation time is selected by a user. The illustratedembodiment includes a display window 502 that includes informationassociated with the observation. In the illustrated embodiment thedisplay window 502 includes the date and time of the observation, theaddress or geographical location of the observation, a description ofthe odor, and a general location of the observation.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. Asused herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify thepresence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements,and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of oneor more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements,components, and/or groups thereof.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of allmeans or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended toinclude any structure, material, or act for performing the function incombination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. Thedescription of the present invention has been presented for purposes ofillustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive orlimited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications andvariations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the artwithout departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Theembodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain theprinciples of the invention and the practical application, and to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention forvarious embodiments with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated.

The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computerprogram product. The computer program product may include a computerreadable storage medium (or media) having computer readable programinstructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of thepresent invention.

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD),a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such aspunch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructionsrecorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Acomputer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construedas being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in anycombination of one or more programming languages, including an objectoriented programming language such as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like,and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C”programming language or similar programming languages. The computerreadable program instructions may execute entirely on the user'scomputer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone softwarepackage, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computeror entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario,the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through anytype of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide areanetwork (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer(for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example,programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), orprogrammable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readableprogram instructions by utilizing state information of the computerreadable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry,in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects ofthe function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram blockor blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of theorder noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present inventionhave been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intendedto be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Manymodifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the describedembodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain theprinciples of the embodiments, the practical application or technicalimprovement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodimentsdisclosed herein.

1-7. (canceled)
 8. A system for detecting a source of an odor, thesystem comprising: a display; a processor communicatively connected tothe display, the processor operative to: receive data associated with afirst detection of the odor, the data associated with the firstdetection of the odor comprising a location of the first detection ofthe odor and a time of the first detection of the odor; retrieve weatherdata corresponding to the first detection of the odor, the weather dataincluding a wind speed and direction in the location of the firstdetection of the odor at the time of the first detection of the odor;calculate a location of the source of the odor as a function of thelocation of the first detection of the odor, the time of the firstlocation of the odor and the wind speed and direction in the location ofthe first detection of the odor; and outputting to a user on a display agraphical representation of a likely area that includes the location ofthe source of the odor.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the functionof the location of the first detection of the odor, the time of thefirst location of the odor and the wind speed and direction in thelocation of the first detection of the odor is defined as:${{- \frac{\partial p}{\partial t}} = {{u_{i} \cdot \frac{\partial p}{\partial x_{i}}} + {\frac{\partial}{\partial x_{i}}\left( {\sigma_{i}\frac{\partial p}{\partial x_{i}}} \right)}}},$for t<t_(R), where u_(i) is the wind speed, x_(i) is a direction of thewind and σ_(i) is the diffusion factor of the odor.
 10. The system ofclaim 9, wherein p(x,t;x_(R),t_(R))=∂(t−t_(R))∂(x−x_(R)), where x is aposition, t is a time, x_(R) is location of the first detection of theodor, and t_(R) is the time of the first detection of the odor.
 11. Thesystem of claim 8, wherein the processor is further operative to:receive data associated with a second detection of the odor, the dataassociated with the second detection of the odor comprising a locationof the second detection of the odor and a time of the second detectionof the odor; retrieve weather data corresponding to the second detectionof the odor, the weather data including a wind speed and direction inthe location of the second detection of the odor at the time of thesecond detection of the odor; calculate an updated location of thesource of the odor as a function of the location of the first detectionof the odor, the time of the first location of the odor and the windspeed and direction in the location of the first detection of the odorand the location of the second detection of the odor, the time of thesecond location of the odor and the wind speed and direction in thelocation of the second detection of the odor; and output to a user on adisplay an graphical representation of an updated likely area thatincludes the location of the source of the odor.
 12. The system of claim8, wherein the data associated with the first detection of the odorincludes a description of the odor.
 13. The system of claim 8, whereinthe graphical representation of a likely area that includes the locationof the source of the odor includes a map, and the graphicalrepresentation of the likely area that includes the location of thesource of the odor is displayed on the map.
 14. The system of claim 8,wherein the processor is further operative to display the location ofthe first detection of the odor on a map to the user on the display. 15.A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage mediumhaving program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructionsexecutable by a processor to cause the processor to perform a methodcomprising: receiving data associated with a first detection of theodor, the data associated with the first detection of the odorcomprising a location of the first detection of the odor and a time ofthe first detection of the odor; retrieving weather data correspondingto the first detection of the odor, the weather data including a windspeed and direction in the location of the first detection of the odorat the time of the first detection of the odor; calculating a locationof the source of the odor as a function of the location of the firstdetection of the odor, the time of the first location of the odor andthe wind speed and direction in the location of the first detection ofthe odor; and outputting to a user on a display a graphicalrepresentation of a likely area that includes the location of the sourceof the odor.
 16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein thefunction of the location of the first detection of the odor, the time ofthe first location of the odor and the wind speed and direction in thelocation of the first detection of the odor is defined as:${{- \frac{\partial p}{\partial t}} = {{u_{i} \cdot \frac{\partial p}{\partial x_{i}}} + {\frac{\partial}{\partial x_{i}}\left( {\sigma_{i}\frac{\partial p}{\partial x_{i}}} \right)}}},$for t<t_(R), where u_(i) is the wind speed, x_(i) is a direction of thewind and σ_(i) is the diffusion factor of the odor.
 17. The computerprogram product of claim 16, whereinp(x,t;x_(R),t_(R))=∂(t−t_(R))∂(x−x_(R)), where x is a position, t is atime, x_(R) is location of the first detection of the odor, and t_(R) isthe time of the first detection of the odor.
 18. The computer programproduct of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises: receivingdata associated with a second detection of the odor, the data associatedwith the second detection of the odor comprising a location of thesecond detection of the odor and a time of the second detection of theodor; retrieving weather data corresponding to the second detection ofthe odor, the weather data including a wind speed and direction in thelocation of the second detection of the odor at the time of the seconddetection of the odor; calculating an updated location of the source ofthe odor as a function of the location of the first detection of theodor, the time of the first location of the odor and the wind speed anddirection in the location of the first detection of the odor and thelocation of the second detection of the odor, the time of the secondlocation of the odor and the wind speed and direction in the location ofthe second detection of the odor; and outputting to a user on a displayan graphical representation of an updated likely area that includes thelocation of the source of the odor.
 19. The computer program product ofclaim 15, wherein the data associated with the first detection of theodor includes a description of the odor.
 20. The computer programproduct of claim 15, wherein the graphical representation of a likelyarea that includes the location of the source of the odor includes amap, and the graphical representation of the likely area that includesthe location of the source of the odor is displayed on the map.